Srettha launches campaign to make Roi Et drug-free by September
Provincial governor given deadline to take all abusers to rehab and bring traffickers to justice in new policy against narcotics
At its weekly meeting on Tuesday, the Cabinet gave the Roi Et provincial administration until September to eliminate narcotics from the province.
Speaking to reporters after chairing a mobile Cabinet meeting in Nakhon Ratchasima, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said that the Cabinet had resolved to make Roi Et a role model of “white” or pure and clean provinces by the end of September.
Srettha said the governor will be in charge of the role model project, which is in line with the government’s urgent policy to suppress drugs.
He said the governor needs to work jointly with other government agencies in the province to carry out massive “X-ray” operations to check for possible drug abusers and pushers in the Northeast.
Those caught abusing drugs must be forced into rehabilitation, while traffickers must be arrested and brought to justice, the PM added.
He said the Interior, Public Health and Defence ministries will work together to build enough rehab facilities for drug abusers in Roi Et. The government believes plenty of drug abusers will be caught in the massive crackdowns, Srettha added.
The Labour and the Social Development and Human Security ministries were also instructed to help provide career training to rehabilitated drug abusers so they can return to their communities and be employed and do not get tempted to start taking drugs again, the PM said.
Srettha added that the Education Ministry and the Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Ministry will also jointly monitor students at all levels to protect them from being lured into using drugs.
Srettha said the Office of Narcotic Control Board will put in place proper measures for the province and criteria for measuring success, adding that the provincial governor must work closely with police to enforce these measures.
The premier iterated that his government was serious about drug suppression and had visited several provinces in the North and Northeast over the past week to follow up on policy enforcement.
